BHARATPUR, July 21: Bharatpur Hospital has treated 291 snakebite patients over the past three months. The number of such patients has increased with the onset of the monsoon.
According to Alaudin Miya, head of the hospital’s emergency department, the hospital treated 60 snakebite cases in Baisakh (mid-April to mid-May) and 105 in Jestha (mid-May to mid-June), five of which involved venomous snakes. In Asar (mid-June to mid-July), 126 patients were treated, of whom nine were bitten by venomous snakes, he added.
Snakebite treatment centre treats 1,407 cases in a year
Patients at Bharatpur Hospital come not only from Chitwan but also from neighboring districts such as Makwanpur, Nawalparasi (Bardaghat-Susta East), Tanahun, Gorkha, and Lamjung. Snakebite patients are kept under observation for at least six hours and treated according to their symptoms.
Venomous snakes include krait, cobra, king cobra, and viper. Krait, cobra, and king cobra bites primarily affect the nervous system, while viper bites affect the blood, Miya explained.
Patients bitten by venomous snakes are treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), while others are treated in the emergency ward. Currently, 10 to 12 snakebite patients are treated at the hospital daily. The hospital sees a high number of such cases due to its effective treatment services.
